High school classes in the U.S. can now sign up to compete in the 2019 Aviation Design Challenge, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association has announced.The annual competition aims to promote Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM)education by offering an aviationcurriculum and a virtual fly-off. “This will be our seventh consecutive year hosting this life-changing competition,and it will be our biggest one yet with our expansion of the school registration cap to 150 slots,” said GAMA President Pete Bunce. “This programis a valuable tool for us tonot onlyhelp educatethe nation’sstudentsabout the scienceof flight andairplane design, but also tell them about all the exciting career options that lie ahead for them in the general aviation industry.”
GAMA will provide registered schools with a six-week “Fly to Learn” curriculum that aligns with national STEM standards. The schools also will get free X-Plane flight simulator software. Teachers will guide students through the science of flight and airplane design.The teamswill then modify an airplane design and complete a mission in a virtual fly-off. GAMA judges will score each team based on application of what they learned, and performance parameters.The winningteam willreceive an all-expenses-paid trip to experience general aviation manufacturing firsthand during the summer of 2019.In 2018, 130 schoolsin 39 states registeredfor the competition—a 37percent increase from the year before.Several past winners and entrants are now pursuing careers in aviation, GAMA says.
